


By Your Side

by InsaneSilence07



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe, Break Up, Cats, Cheating, F/M, Friendship, Modeling, date, fashion - Freeform, relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-12-18 04:08:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18242081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsaneSilence07/pseuds/InsaneSilence07
Summary: He slowly stopped showing up for dates. He wouldn't call her anymore and there was a lack of acknowledgement towards her; it was as if she didn't matter anymore. But more and more a familiar face seems to keep popping up, always appearing out of nowhere and placing a smile upon her lips. And for Marinette, she really didn't seem to mind.





	By Your Side

Marinette breathed in deeply, trying to calm her nerves. She grabbed a tissue and lightly dabbed at her lips, wiping at the excess lipstick. She had combed her brush through her hair several times in the past half hour and touched up her makeup more times than she could count.

She let her eyes rest upon the tiny clock that was sat on her vanity which read 8:40 P.M. She chewed on her lip nervously while she watched the seconds tick by. Félix was 10 minutes late; a very unusual predicament as he is always on time, right to the second.

Marinette got up and paced about her living room before finally deciding on just grabbing her purse and pulling a coat over shoulders and heading out the door.

Félix was the oldest son of the Agreste household. They had met during a dinner party after Paris' famous annual fashion show. Everyone was idly chatting at the dinner table when Félix had barged unceremoniously through the doors, his tie hanging off his shoulders and his hair unkempt and unruly. Marinette was even sure that he still had a trace of drool on his cheek at that point. He was so busy brooding and grumbling about some " _darn stupid cat_ " that he had almost tripped on her as he got to his seat beside her and then proceeded to spill wine on her lovely gown that she had made and worn.

To make up for his awful etiquette from that evening, also because his parents had narrowed their eyes at him for utterly ruining dinner and upsetting their guest, Félix had taken her out for a date to make up for his rudeness. But as the days went on, she found herself still trickling by his side, his frowns turning into charming smirks and his harsh slip of the tongue amusing.

That was around half a year ago and this was just another date that he charmed her into. They had been dating for at least three months now and she softly sighed with a small smile on her lips. Three months past with countless dates and he still had never been late, not once.

Though, of course, if he ever was, it was barely by a second before she caught sight of his neat coiffed hair in front of her.

So as she stepped through the doors to the restaurant they had made reservations for, Marinette had simply made her way over to her designated table and read through the menu that was placed in front of her, warily keeping track of the time on her phone.

Ten more minutes had past since she arrived and he was well past 30 minutes late. The waiter had passed by her table not too long ago and she had ordered an iced water.

She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply before grabbing her purse and heading towards the restroom at the back. She was anxious beyond belief and just sitting at that table while the waiter and the people around her passed her pitying glances was not helping in calming her down.

Upon entering she made way to the many sinks and washed her hands and splashed some water on her face. The chilling sensation spiked through her and she lightly tapped at her cheeks. "Get a hold of yourself, Marinette." she scolded herself. She shook her head and gave a light chuckle.

"He's probably here by now. Stop worrying over something so trivial." she scolded and nodded her head, satisfied.

Marinette touched up her makeup once more and left the bathroom, and as she made her way back to the table, she spotted the familiar blond waves of hair. She let out a breath of relief and shook her head fondly. "What a forgetful one, he is."

When she arrived at the table and Félix erupted into stiff apologies, spouting reasons as to what had happened and that he got caught in traffic before he ran out of gas and then proceeded to get caught speeding for rushing on his way here.

Marinette smiled at him and reached for his hand across the table, squeezing it reassuringly. "It's alright, Félix. I forgive you." His hair was a complete mess which certainly gave her a start, but the slight grin that danced across his lips left her heart singing.

And so they continued on with the rest of their date, idly chatting as neither noticed the narrowed eyes from across the room.

* * *

That following week, Marinette had tidied herself up in a lovely light pink sundress. She wore a simple puffed scarf around her neck and some flats for shoes, her hair tied up behind her in a single ponytail.

Félix had promised a romantic picnic at the downtown park and she readily agreed. She managed to arrive 10 minutes early, as per usual, and she sat down at one of the benches that surrounded the park. Today was a particularly nice evening with the sun warmly shining down and a slight breeze blew in the wind, tickling her bare arms every now and again.

She watched the kids playing and running around, some blowing bubbles while others had jump ropes and more kicking footballs. Many adults were idly watching nearby, walking around the park in a slight jog or admiring the scenery from a bench or a spot on the grass with their significant other.

Marinette smiled brightly at all the life that was around her. It was such a wonderful feeling to know that there's other people around, happy and content with their lives.

As the time ticked by, the sun slowly making its descent in the sky, Marinette soon began to feel chilly. The warmth of the sun was inching away and being replaced with cool air.

He was an hour and a half late. She felt her uneasiness in the pits of her stomach. What if something had happened to him? She knew he was a busy guy, juggling around modeling for his infamous fashion designer of a stepfather and getting into a business career with the help of his mother, and his own daily life included. But that still didn't cease her worrying.

By the time another hour had come and gone, Marinette sat with her head down, arms wrapped around herself. He would come any minute now! She was sure of it!

A strong gust of cool wind blew right over shoulders and she shivered. She could feel her lip wobbling as every doubt entered her mind. He wasn't going to come. He forgot. He never really liked her. On and on her mind wandered, each passing minute the day becoming night, the warm becoming cold.

She would've sat there till midnight if a warm hand hadn't covered her bare shoulder. Marinette bolted upright, noticing blond wisps of hair as she wrapped her arms around him. "Félix! I knew you would come!"

She pulled back with teary eyes and a smile before her grin faltered. "You're not Félix." she announced.

Marinette looked this man up and down. He was familiar. _Really_ familiar. He had the same blond fluffy hair as Felix, though not as carefully placed as his usual was, and he striking emeralds for eyes instead of the pale blues Félix had. His smile was soft and he was dressed warmly and comfortably in a baggy black v-neck sweater and khakis.

" _Adrien._ " She voiced her thoughts and his smile grew. He put his arm around her and began leading her away from the park.

Adrien was Félix's younger brother. Although they looked alike, they had many differences. One being that Adrien is the true heir of the Agreste household, his father remarrying Félix's mother in an attempt for normalcy for his devastated son. He took to wearing more comfortable clothes than expensive crisp ones, didn't bother with looking professional and was an overall friendly guy rather than the stoic anti-social persona of his older brother. And was ever the jokester. He was everything Félix wasn't. Except both males were outrageously handsome.

The warmth of his body against hers as he walked her home shook away the chills from earlier. He stopped at her front door and gave her an apology, "I'm sorry about my brother. I figured he wouldn't have made it."

He held out a small cup to her and she grasped it from him, her lips coming to the edge and taking a sip of creamy hot chocolate. She hummed with delight. "Thank you, Adrien." she said softly and quickly scurried inside her home.

It wasn't until she locked the door and set her belongings down did she sit before her door, small tears tracking down her cheeks. Marinette knew she was being childish. It was only one night. Something must have came about and he couldn't meet up. But still, her tears dripped from her chin and she curled her legs up in front of her, her small sniffles doing nothing to ease her fragile mind.

The bluenette was so caught up in her feelings that she never noticed the slight growl from the other side of the door or the car that spun its wheels and hurried away down the road.

* * *

Since the picnic, the time Félix and Marinette shared together had dwindled. Félix always seemed to be busy and while out on dates he was either hours late or never showed up at all. Sometimes he would call her and tell her he couldn't come, but more often than not he wouldn't say anything and act as if he had no idea he missed a date with his girlfriend.

This afternoon Marinette decided to arrange a carnival date. She knew for a fact that Félix was free today. Nothing was scheduled for that afternoon and he had the time to do whatever he wanted. And she refused to believe he was going back to being the cold, unemotional block of ice she had known him as. Why would he revert to that original state now after all they had been through together? It just didn't add up.

She stepped up to the large gate that surrounded the Agreste mansion and waved at the small surveillance camera. She heard the telltale beep from the monitor before the locks on the gate unhinged and swung open.

Her skirt swayed about her knees as she stopped at the large door and gave a knock. A large burly man opened it quickly, but had quietly let her pass.

Marinette smiled. This time her and Félix could have a nice day together. It hurt her heart whenever he never managed to show up or had to cancel a date. It truly did. But she was willing to be patient with him.

Walking down a long hallway, she spotted an unruly blond head of hair and spoke up, "Good afternoon, Adrien."

The male swiftly turned around and gave her a charming smile. "Good afternoon, _Purr_ incess." he said back.

She gave a light laugh and shook her head. Over a month or two, Marinette had begun to warm up to Félix's younger brother. Though she could do without all the puns sometimes; they seemed to be his all-time everyday favorite.

She stopped before him and quizzically looked between him and Félix's door. "Is your brother home?" At the mention of his older sibling, Marinette quickly noticed the frown that crossed his expression before he expertly hid it. "I was wondering if he would come to the carnival with me today," she tried.

Adrien seemed to look unsure before he gave a nod, "I'll check." He quickly disappeared within the room behind him. From the other side of the door she could hear an awful lot of shuffling around and muttering, but they were too faint for her to pick up on. He suddenly reappeared in front of her, a creamy orange blur bolting past her feet, and she had to lean back before her head hit his chest. "He's sick."

The bluenette furrowed her brows and rubbed her arm. "Oh," she spoke softly. "I'm sorry to intrude. It's best I be off then." She turned on her heel and began making her way back out of the Agreste household.

Marinette hadn't made it very far before Adrien was once again in front of her. "Marinette, wait!" She had her eyes downcast, her feet shuffling nervously.

"I…" he began, his voice soft.

The bluenette sighed and casted him a soft smile. "I know what you're going to say, but I'll stop you there." she said firmly and his eyebrows furrowed. "It's fine, Adrien. I've got some work to do anyway."

She pushed past the blond and made it to the front gate before turning around, "See you around!" she called out and walked off the property.

A loud bang sounded from behind and Marinette jumped in her spot, turning around to take a glance at the door that slammed shut where Adrien once stood. Had she possibly made him upset?

* * *

Two weeks past and Marinette was lost in thought as the people around her fussed with her hair and patted on light makeup. Once she had gotten into the Agreste fashion industry, her work went smoothly with just designing.

Though it didn't take very long before Mr. Agreste had proposed she tried modeling. She argued a plenty number of times that she just didn't seem to fit the criteria for models, but each time she spoke, Adrien seemed to stomp it down right away. Her skin was soft and fair, her legs long and toned, her tummy slim and her hips wide. There was always some part of her that he liked to point out that was good for modeling. But as she slowly got into her pose, she couldn't help but blush profusely.

The theme that was planned for this shoot was sexy. She wore a black set of lingerie with a sheer lace overcoat that parted at her torso and stopped right at her upper thighs. Her hair was let loose and wavy, hanging down around her face as she stared at the man below her with what she hoped was a seductive look. Adrien stared up at her with an equal amount of lust, a white button up opened entirely and hanging off his shoulders loosely with a pair of pants hanging off his hips.

Marinette laid a hand on his chest, the other holding her up. Adrien's hand rested lightly on her hip, his touch burning the bare skin and making her face heat up.

"Good! Good! These are perfect!"

They were moved around once more and now she was kneeling above his lap, her height just barely able to make her look down to meet his eyes.

Adrien bent his head back, his golden hair tickling his shoulders as he rested back on his hands. Marinette curled a hand along his jaw, her head lowered to the point that one more inch would lock their lips together.

"Ah, yes! Magnificent!"

This time it was a single shot of her. She crossed her legs and sat on the edge of the bed, her hand in the air before her as she took mild interest at the bold colored nail polish on her nails.

The shooting took longer than expected and by the time it was over her stomach was growling for food and her body felt exhausted.

But Marinette placed a small grin upon her lips and hiked up her shoulders as she strutted over to a tall male sitting on a bench on his phone. She stood before him and tapped his shoulder, "Félix!"

Hearing his name, Félix looked up past his phone. She was happy to see his face again. It had certainly been a while. "Were you watching the shoot? I got to model my lingerie line!" she said with hubris, her smile growing and her chest puffed out. She hadn't been able to model her own clothing yet, and although it had to be lingerie, she still felt such pride to be able to model her own line, no matter what style it was.

"Oh," he began in a monotone, "Yeah, you looked good. Nice work."

Marinette frowned as he tuned back in to his phone before jumping up. "Well, I'd love to stay, but I gotta go. See you." And just like that, he made his way past her, walking out of the room with stiff posture.

She could feel the sadness erupting within her, bubbling up and burning her insides. Before she could break down and let those meager feelings overcome her, Marinette stepped outside and let her feet drag her to a nearby cat café. She knew the kittens there were always so sweet and relaxing to watch. It'd be good to calm her nerves.

The bell jingled above her and she moved about the room, sitting down on a pillow that was placed on the floor. A small black kitten scampered up to her and pounced on her hand, swatting and batting as Marinette giggled softly, a small smile replacing her earlier expression of disappointment. She picked the kitten up in her arms and held it against her, the bell around his neck jingling softly as she pet the fur soothingly.

A sudden voice broke through Marinette's thoughts, "Guess we had the same idea." and she turned around to be met with Adrien who now donned a gray t-shirt and a white hoodie with faded slacks. In his hands were two cups of steaming liquid and he handed one to her, "Hot chocolate, just like last time." he said and gave her a grin.

Marinette couldn't help but tear up slightly. She took the foam cup and looked down at the kitten with the large green eyes in her lap, hiding her own eyes behind her bangs. "Thank you, Adrien." she said softly.

"Anything for you, _Purr_ incess." He grinned toothily as warmth painted pink upon her cheeks. A half-hearted snort escaped her lips and Adrien nudged her with his elbow. When she looked back up at him, his face was twisted into a geeky smile with his eyes crossed and his tongue hanging out. Marinette had to stop petting the cat so she could place a hand over her lips to muffle her laughter.

Once she calmed down and her drink was now settled at the pit of her tummy, she grabbed onto the outward hand of Adrien who hauled her up to her feet. His hand was large and completely engulfed her own. It was also warm and made her feel safe; the bluenette sighed in content.

His hand still held onto hers once they stepped outside onto the Parisian streets. Before she let herself back down, she turned into his chest and wrapped her arms around his torso, her head just barely reaching the bottom of his chin. "Thank you, Adrien. Really. _Thank you._ " she whispered softly.

Before letting go, she felt Adrien lean his head towards her hair, almost as if nuzzling her head. "Don't mention it," he said warmly, "I'll always be there for you."

Marinette's heart skipped a beat and she pulled back quickly. "I have to get going now! B-Bye!" she called out hurriedly and practically ran away from the male.

Her hand clutched the fabric at her chest, her heart hammering against her rib cage. _What was that?_ She breathed in deeply and hadn't stopped speeding down the walkways.

She fumbled with her keys and yanked open her door, shoving off her shoes and carelessly throwing her belongings onto the table. She went over to her vanity mirror and looked at herself closely. _What am I doing?_

Her eyes looked frantic and her breathing was erratic. Her cheeks were flushed and she looked absolutely shook.

The bluenette collapsed onto the seat in front of her and slapped her cheeks lightly. "Why?" she asked herself aloud. Her heart was pounding in her ears and there were butterflies fluttering in her tummy, her cheeks were rosy red and she felt like her once shy, teenage self again. " _Why do I feel like this?_ "

* * *

_"Hello? This is Marinette. Are you alright? I haven't heard from you recently. Get back to me soon!"_

_. . ._

_"Mari again! Just wanted to check up on you. I thought you'd have gotten my last call by now, haha! Oh well. Call me soon!"_

_. . ._

_"Uhm, Félix? Did something happen? You still haven't returned any of my calls yet. . . Don't be such a bum! I'm here anytime."_

_. . ._

_"Félix? This is Marinette again… Could you please get back to me when you get this?"_

_. . ._

_"Hey, it's me again. . . Are you ignoring me, Félix? I wish you'd tell me what's going on. Why won't you pick up anymore?"_

_. . ._

_". . .did I do something wrong, Félix? You've read all of my texts that I sent you yesterday… Why won't you answer me?"_

_. . ._

_"I stopped by your home the other day… Adrien told me you haven't been feeling well. I hope you're alright. Call me please."_

_. . ._

_"Félix. . . Are you there?"_

_. . ._

_"Call me back when you get this. . ."_

_. . ._

_"Félix…?"_

_. . ._

_". . ."_

_. . ._

_"I'm sorry."_

* * *

Marinette leaned against the bottom of her bed, cellphone in hand. She had to make one simple call. One that made her shoulders shake and her made her taste bile in her mouth.

She tapped on the familiar icon she had grown to adore over time. She brought the cell up to her ear, hearing the familiar buzz as she waited.

Tears brimmed her eyes and her cell loosened from her grip. " _Ahem. This is Félix. I'm either busy or unable to reach the phone right now, most likely for a probable cause. Leave a message and there's a possibility I might get back to you._ "

A small hiccup escaped through her lips as her shoulders shook. She clutched the phone tightly, her knuckles turning white. She breathed in deeply and sniffed to clear her voice. The small chime coming from the phone made her stiffen; as best as she could, Marinette evened her breathing as she spoke into the small device, "Félix? It's Marinette. Listen… I don't know what happened to you, or why you've been ignoring me like this," She inhaled deeply before saying quietly, "it _hurts_ , Félix. It really, _really_ hurts… And the worst of it is that I have no clue what I even _did_!" Her voice broke and a sob passed her lips.

Her hand slipped and fell to rest in her lap as her free hand came up to rub her watering eyes which now continued to flow with tears. She felt pathetic. And worthless. Was their relationship worth nothing? How could he just toss her aside like this?

Fifteen minutes into the call and she was still sobbing on her end. She didn't hear a word coming from the other line. It was just silence. Through her tears, Marinette stared up at her ceiling with a blank expression. She felt so confused and lost. And as a small laugh echoed within her small room, she felt she might be going mad.

"Félix?" She paused, for what, she didn't know. "I just wish you'd have come to me and told me instead of ignoring me like this. But I can't do it anymore, I'm sorry. _Goodbye_."

The bluenette dropped her phone and curled up against her bedpost. She slowly stood up and crawled over onto her bed, laying above the sheets and staring blankly at the wall. She didn't know what she was supposed to feel anymore; her frustrations and sadness sat deep within the pit of her tummy, the dread weighing her down and making her feel all the worse. Her eyes still leaked the salty tears which stained her pillow, her hiccups still sounding ever so often. Her fists were clenched tightly, her nails digging sharply into the palm of her hand, but with the feeling of betrayal and frustration, Marinette barely felt the cuts she made, ignoring the small beads of red liquid that dribbled under her nails.

If the young woman wasn't so lost in thought, so devoid of emotion, she might have heard the faraway screaming and loud shuffling coming from her cellphone which lay on the floor by her bed, before the constant tone cut off the noise and ended the call.

* * *

Marinette lifted her head off the pillow, looking around her room with a curious stare. She could hear something. It was very faint, but she was sure she heard it.

She got up from her bed and turned on her lamp that sat on her bedside table, the soft glow lighting the darkened room. The sun had begun its descent in the sky about a couple hours ago and the light just barely reached over the top of the rooftops outside her window.

Her feet padded across the room and she made her way out into her hallways. The sound of a jingle echoed in her small home, a light scratching noise following. Marinette furrowed her brows and slipped down the steps, standing in the middle of the living room and pausing once more as the scratch started up again.

Her eyes searched through her home for the cause of the noise before she noticed a shadow coming from the bottom of her front door. She was beginning to unlock the door when a loud rumble came from all around, a bolt of light flashing briefly outside. She hadn't even noticed the rain.

When she opened the door, Marinette fell back in shock. A bell jingled wildly as a small, soaking wet, black kitten came pouncing through her doorway and onto her torso, rubbing its small body against the soft linen of her cotton shirt.

She brought her widened eyes upwards to the male that stood in front of her, holding something very small and orange. He kicked the door shut with the toe of his boot and flashed her a smile, "Is this a bad time?" he said calmly, though she doubted he would leave if she answered truthfully.

Marinette decided to ignore asking about the café kitten and what its purpose being in her home was, and instead asked "What are you doing here?" Her voice was hoarse and had gotten rough from her earlier bout of crying and she cringed sheepishly. She coughed to clear her throat.

The tall male held out a hand for her, his hand warm and inviting despite the obvious raindrops that dripped down his form. She grabbed onto it and he pulled her up again, just like he had done so before.

Instead of answering her, he gestured to the object in his arm and the kitten on the floor. "How about you go get some towels and I'll make some tea. You seem like you need it." he said in a low tone and handed her an orange kitten that was bundled up in his arms, the black kitten immediately meowing and scratching at her legs.

Marinette gasped and quickly scuttled away to grab towels. As she dried the two cats, her mind wandered to the tone of voice Adrien had used with her. He knew about the breakup. It shouldn't have exactly been that hard for him to have found out giving that he lived with Félix... But _still_ , Marinette felt like Adrien was _pitying_ her. She didn't need any pity at all from anyone. Sure the breakup was hard on her, but she was a tough girl. She'll give herself a day or two to wallow and cry and then she'll be back on her feet with a smile to start the new day.

As she came back with a warm towel fresh from the dryer and a pair of sweatpants, Adrien exchanged them for the mug of hot tea. She took a small sip before placing it on the countertop in the living room and burying the small kittens in the warm cloth once more, drying the little furballs until their fur stood up all over and made them look oh-so-fluffy. She giggled at the sight.

"I'll be back," Adrien said before heading off to her bathroom with towel in hand. It wouldn't be good to stay in those wet clothes for too long if he didn't want to catch a cold. She didn't have any shirts that would be able to fit his build, nor did she have any pants, but those sweatpants were the baggiest clothing she owned and it'd just have to do for now.

Once he had returned, he made himself comfortable on her sofa and she settled down beside him, throwing a soft blanket over their laps for extra warmth. Adrien grabbed the remote and turned on some sort of comedy show that he seemed to enjoy. She scoffed upon realizing that this must be where his inspiration for all his puns came from.

"He used to abuse her." he suddenly quipped beside her. Marinette turned her head swiftly to see him staring at the television, a frown apparent on his face. He turned to meet her questioning gaze.

Adrien leaned forward and pet the orange kitten behind the ear. "Félix isn't very good with animals. And Tikki is a bit of an attention-seeker. He didn't like that." he said grimly. "It was more the reason why I try to keep Plagg away from him. Tikki was a bit harder to keep away since she shies away from people and liked to hide in his room."

Marinette frowned and looked down at the cat softly purring in her lap. How could he ever hurt such a small precious thing? There must've been plenty of things she was ignorant about when it came to Félix.

Suddenly, Plagg looked up at her with his bright green eyes and jumped up, beginning to climb up her shoulder. "H-hey! Where you going, little guy?" she said startled.

The black feline crawled upon her shoulder and then jumped down onto her back. She felt a heavy tugging on her sweatshirt and heard giggles from beside her. She narrowed her eyes at the blond who looked at her with a smile. "What?" he asked.

"You know what." she hissed, though no angry tone was evident in her voice. Adrien pulled out his phone and snapped a picture. "Hey!" she whined and began reaching for his cellular device. "Give it!"

Marinette pouted and crossed her arms like a child when her arms were just too short to reach. Adrien just seemed to laugh more. He grinned and poked her on the nose, gesturing to his phone once she looked his way.

A startled Marinette was captured on the screen, but what made her grin was the sleepy black kitten that had hopped into the hood of her sweatshirt.

The two adults cooed at the small animal before returning to their comfortable positions on the couch. A good few hours passed and Marinette found herself dozing off.

Adrien was fast asleep beside her, his face content with his lips slightly parted. Plagg had moved from his spot around an hour ago to laying on top the back of the sofa, his body nestled warmly into the thick curls of Adrien's hair with Tikki laying beside him.

Without stirring either of them awake, she made a grab for the remote and clicked on a movie channel, turning the volume down low. She laid back and curled up into the warm blanket, snuggling beside the male, his arm pulling her closer almost instinctively.

The bluenette figured she probably shouldn't be so close to another male right after breaking off her last relationship, but as her eyes drew shut, her mind shut off. She didn't care. He was being her rock, her comfort. And maybe just this once, she'll allow it.

**Author's Note:**

> This counts as a finished product, but I'm currently in the works of making another chapter to balance out some unanswered questions. :3


End file.
